Propelling mechanism for rowboats



March 27, 1956 Q s 2,739,562

PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR ROWBOATS Filed Sept. 26, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l lfHm if" 49 March 27, 1956 J. o. HAHS 2,739,562

PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR ROWBOATS Filed Sept. 26, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 t m 2&2: & Q {6 I i l m Ill/.4

///5 airman/i)- March 27, 1956 O HAHS 2,739,562

PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR ROWBOATS Filed Sept. 26, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. S 077a f/xws United atlases Patent PRGPELLING MECHANISM FOR RGWBQATS James Gtto Halts, Sikeston, Mo. Application September 26, 1952, Serial No. 311,737 1 Claim. (Cl. 115-18) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in propelling mechanism for rowboats and has for its principal object the provision of a construction of this character that is simple, yet sturdy, and economical in manufacture.

Another equally important object of this invention is a construction of this character that is especially intended for use by fishermen for the purpose of propelling and maneuvering a boat while casting or trolling.

Another equally important object of this invention is the provision of an arrangement whereby the propelling device may be quickly and conveniently fastened to the stern of a boat and operated by the fisherman by one hand without perceptible noise and vibration.

Still another object of this invention is the provision or" a construction of this character wherein the propeller and housing of the driving mechanism may be tilted readily to change the position of the propeller with respect to the surface of the water.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangements of parts to be herenaifter described and claimed.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of device attached to the stern of a boat;

Fig. 2 is a front elevatlonal view of my invention taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fi 3 is a rear elevational view of my invention taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of my invention taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 4, but showing the parts in different position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the ditferent lateral pivotal positions of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the connection between the pivotal housing and the gear housing;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the tilt block embodied in my invention;

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of my invention showing a modification thereof; and

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view of the connection with the flexible drive shaft from the motor as used in the modified form of my invention.

The several stated and other obvious objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings.

A standard rowboat is indicated as at 10, having an angled backboard 11. To this backboard 11 is attached a support 12. This support 12 includes a fixed rear jaw 13 and a pair of movable jaws 14 actuated by clampmy propelling substantially ing screws 15, which when tightened clamp the support 12 to the boat 10.

To the top of this support 12 is pivotally attached, by any suitable means, such as a nut and bolt arrangement 16, a supporting plate 17. This plate 17 is adapted for pivotal movement about the axis of the bolt 16 as shown in Fig. 7. The plate 17 provides a bracket 18 having upwardly extending fianges 19 centered over the pivotal connection 16. These flanges 19 have their forward walls 20 perpendicular to the plate 1.7, with their top walls 21 tapering downwardly and rearwardly of the plate 17.

A housing bracket 23 having depending flanges 24 is pivotally connected between the flanges 19, in any suitable manner, such as by nuts and bolts 25. The flanges 2d form a passage 26 which has its roof 27 tapered downwardly and backwardly from the housing bracket 23. The purpose of such passage will hereinafter he described. The upper portion of the bracket 23 is provided with a longitudinal groove 28 into which is adapted to be seated a boss 2'9 of the gear housing 30. A cap 31, having a longitudinal groove 32 corresponding to the groove 23 of the bracket 23, fastens over the top portion of the boss 29, and is attached in any suitable manner, such as by screws 33, to the bracket 23, to fixedly secure said boss 22% to the housing bracket 23.

in this boss 29 is carried a tube 34, which tube contains a flexible driving shaft 35, one end of the driving shaft being connected to a propeller 36 in any suitable manner well known in the art. Adjacent said propeller 36 and carried by the tube 34 is a rudder 37, which rudder constitutes no part of this present invention.

The opposite end of the driving shaft 35 is connected to a train of gears 38, located in the gear housing 30. The gears 38 are adapted to be actuated by a drive shaft 39, journaled in a bearing structure dll carried by a boss 51 of the gear housing 30. The drive shaft 39 has at its free end a crank 42 which when turned, drives the gears 38, which drive is transmitted to the propeller 36 through the flexible driving shaft 35.

into the passage 26 formed by the flanges 24 is projected a slidable tilt block 43. This tilt block 43 has two depending legs 44, which ride on the plate 17 between the flanges 19 The top 45 of this block 43 is tapered downwardly and backwardly as is the roof 27 of the passage 26. Threaded in the rear wall 16 of the block 43 is a guide finger 47 which has at its free end an enlarged head portion 47'. This guide finger 47, before being threaded in the walls 4-6 of the block 43 is passed through an opening 58 formed in a guide post 49 carried at the rear portion of the plate 17, and which guide post 49 slidably contains the block 43 in the passage 26 after the finger 47 is threaded in the block 43. The pivotal connecting bolt 16 passes between the legs 44 of the block 43 when the block is slidably moved in the passage 26.

When the tilt block 43 is positioned in the passage 26, the roof 27 thereof will rest on the high point of the block 43. From the foregoing description it is apparent that when, as viewed in Fig. 5, the tilt block 13 is withdrawn rearwardly from the passage 26, the tilt block 4-3 will engage the lowest end of the tapered roof 27, and raise the housing bracket 23, which in turn will cause the propeller to be raised close to the water level. If, as viewed in Fig. 6, the block 43 is inserted the full length of the guide finger 47, the highest point of the roof 27 will rest on the block 43 and thus the housing bracket 23 will not be tilted or raised upwardly, thereby permitting the propeller to be in a lower position with respect to the water level.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that 89 I have provided a simple and compact device for propelling a rowboat, which device is capable of pivotal movement about a vertical axis for steering purposes, and at the same time pivotable about a horizontal axis for regulating the depth of the propeller.

In Fig. 10 is illustrated a modification of my propelling device in which a power motor 50, of any type construction, and which constitutes no part of my present invention, is employed in place of the hand crank 42, it being noted that in such modified form the motor 50 and crank 42 are interchangeable.

The motor 50 is connected through a flexible drive shaft 51 carried in a flexible tube 51', to a driving shaft 52, which in turn drives the gears 38. The shaft 52 is journaled in a bearing structure 53, carried in a boss 53' of the gear housing 30.

The flexible shaft 51 has at its free end a tongue 54 adaptedto project into a slot 55 formed at the exposed end of the driving shaft 52. A coupling link 56 is journaled on the free end of the flexible shaft 51 and is adapted to be threaded on the bearing structure 53 when the tongue 54 is inserted in the slot 55 to secure the flexible shaft 51 to the driving shaft 52.

A steering handle 57 is threaded on the bearing structure 40 of the boss 41 of the housing 30 in place of the crank handle 42, when the motor is employed to propel the boat 10.

With the construction of a propelling device as thus described it is apparent that a fisherman may employ the use of the motor attachment to the device to navigate about a lake, and upon reaching a likely spot to fish may detach the motor unit and use the hand crank to propel the boat While trolling or casting.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eifect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of 4 such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A clamping structure for a boat propelling and maneuvering device including a fixed rear jaw and a pair of movable jaws, means for clamping said jaws to said boat, a bottom plate integral with said fixed rear jaw and extending in a horizontal plane with respect thereto, a supporting plate rotatably connected to said bottom plate, a supporting structure carried by said supporting plate, said supporting plate having spaced apart vertically extending flanges for pivotally connecting said structure to said boat, said structure providing an open passage in its bottom portion with the side walls of said passage extending downwardly between said flanges for regulating the pivotal connection between said structure and said plate, boat propelling means carried by said supporting plate, and wedging means projecting into said passage of said structure for regulating the pivotal movement of said structure about a horizontal axis, said wedging means comprising a tapered surface block slid able in said passage and engageable with said structure, the roof of said passage being tapered in a corresponding direction'with respect to said block to provide a supporting surface between said block and said structure when saidblock is projected into said passage to regulate the pivotal movement of said structure about a horizontal axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,479,025 Caille Jan. 1, 1924 1,875,451 Harris Sept. 6, 1932 1,953,599 Grimes Apr. 3, 1934 2,044,920 Smith June 23, 1936 2,213,434 Rayniak Sept. 3, 1940 2,255,514 Miller Sept. 9, 1941 2,273,815 Beviu gton Feb. 24, 1942 

